The present invention relates to an improved endotracheal tube for selective bronchial occlusion for use in medical and surgical procedures in hospitals, and for on-site post-trauma medical stabilisation procedures.
In the event of damage to a lung, such as a collapsed lung following some form of trauma, it is often necessary to intubate the lungs with a view to isolating and occluding the damaged lung and ventilating the other lung.
Present devices and procedures for achieving this end are, in general, complex and require a high level of training and skill for accurate and effective placement. For example, with some patients, it may take the anaesthetist or surgeon up to one hour to occlude a collapsed lung and to ensure correct placement and intubation of the remaining functioning lung. Quite often anaesthetists lack the training or skills to ensure correct lung intubation/occlusion, and this procedure is left to the surgeon to perform.
In the case of paramedics, such as ambulance personnel, instigating primary stabilisation and treatment of traumatised patients at, for example, the scene of an accident, such paramedics lack the skills to correctly intubate and ventilate a patient with a damaged lung using existing medical equipment and procedures.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved endotracheal tube for medical intubation which goes at least some way towards overcoming or at least minimising the prior art problems or limitations outlined above, and for providing a clear alternative choice for use by medical personnel.
It is another object of this invention to provide an endotracheal tube for medical intubation which provides for selective bronchial occlusion and ventilation of the lungs.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an endotracheal tube including means for easier or simpler selection of, and placement in, left or right bronchii.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved endotracheal tube for selective bronchial occlusion/placement which is relatively simple to operate, and is suitable for use by both medical and paramedical personnel with minimal training and/or supervision.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following descriptions and drawings.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an endotracheal tube for selective bronchial occlusion and/or placement for lung ventilation of a patient, comprising an elongate, flexible bronchial/tracheal tube having a central channel or lumen extending throughout its entire length with an opening at each of opposed distal and proximal ends thereof, the opening at the proximal end of the tube being adapted for connection to a ventilation device and the opening at the distal end comprising a first or distal air vent for venting air into the lungs of a patient, said bronchial/tracheal tube having separate spaced apart distal and proximal peripherally inflatable portions at the distal end of the tube and at a proximal location relative thereto, respectively, and a second or proximal air vent opening in the sidewall of that portion of the tube extending between said distal and proximal inflatable portions thereof, wherein in situ said distal inflatable portion is inflatable both radially outwardly adapted to seal against the surrounding bronchus connected to one of the lungs and radially inwardly to seal against itself to occlude the lumen of the tube and thereby effectively occlude the lung, wherein said proximal inflatable portion is inflatable radially outwardly adapted to seal against the surrounding trachea of the patient, and whereby an airway to the patient""s other lung is maintained via the said second or proximal air vent opening.
Ideally, the endotracheal tube comprises separate means for inflating the distal and proximal peripherally inflatable portions thereof, as well as separate fibre optic and suction means operative at the distal end of the tube to assist with placement of the tube into the left or right bronchii and or for draining air or fluids from the lung.